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Death of Abram Burnett : his portrait at Winter's studio : romantic history of his wife

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Death of Abram Burnett---His Por-trait at Winter's Studio---Roman-tic History of His Wife.

On the second page yesterday we gave place to an extract from a western paper, announcing the death of Abram Burnett. He is spoken of as one of the hereditary chiefs of the Potowata- mies, but this we presume is a mistake, as in line of succession, Topenbay and his sons must have out-ranked him for that position. However, it is possible that in treaties with the United States after the unceremonious removal of the Potowatamies from northern Indi- ana and the Wabash, he may have obtained recognition as a chief. We have no information touching his life for the past twenty years, beyond the fact that he lived in Kansas, not far from Topeka, and was a regular patron of the circus and side shows. He had became entirely civilized, except in an uncompromis- ing aversion to fire-water, as the sod corn whisky of our boasted civilization is termed. He was a sensible man and regarded ardent spirits as the bane of his race. The tribe to which he be- longed came in from the North, and by a concession from the Miamis, oc- cupied the rich hunting grounds west and north of the Wabash river. When General Tipton decoyed the Chiefs, warriors and head men of the Potta-watamies into the council at Twin Lakes, near Plymouth, Burnett was captured with the rest and sent westward. He had never been in open antagonism to the whites, nor had he made any reputation with his tribe as a warrior, but gifted with a fine person, towering full six feet in height—a very giant in weight and muscle, he was a promi- nent figure in all the Councils. He never said much, but he brooded long and bitterly over the wrongs of his race, and but for the restraining influ- ences brought to bear upon him by Father Petit, a Jesuit missionary, hewould have been troublesome. He be- came a convert to Catholicism, and the good counsel of the pious missionary bore good fruit in aspirations for a high- er life and a desire to benefit his race— General Grover, ex-Senator Fitch, of Logansport, and Jay Mix, Esq., of La- Fayette, will remember Abram Bur- nett, and doubtless recall many incidents of his life. George Winter, our popular home artist, who knew him well, has his portrait in oil. He has, also, among his invalua- ble collection a life-like portrait of " Little Girl” the wife of Burnett—a woman of more than ordinary beauty, and some attainments. She was much esteemed by the whites for her amia- ble qualities. She had a somewhat ro- mantic history, having been espoused by two chiefs, who, in their desperate rivalry, playfully inserted a tomahawk in each others skulls. One of them survived for four days, and sending for “Little Girl," as the Indian maid- en was called, attempted to kill her, under the romantic hallucination that her spirit would accompany him, on a sort of bridal tour, to the hunting grounds of the great hereafter. Feeble and dying, he failed of his deadly pur-pose, and she escaped with a slight gash in the forehead. Burnett became interested in her, and took her to his wigwam. We have an im- pression that she died some years since. Both these paintings are interesting—all the more that Mr. Winter painted them from life. We shall always regret that the valuable sketches with which his portfolio is filled have not been perpetuated in a more enduring form. Many of them are invaluable, and all are worthy of preservation on account of their inti- mate relation to the early, history of Indiana. We should be glad to see them repainted, under the patron- age of the State, and deposited in the State Library at the Capital. We could select ten or a dozen of his sketches, comprising more history of early times in Indiana than can be ex- tracted from the whole miscellaneous muddle in the State archives at Indi- anapolis.

Images in the George Winter Collection should not be used without written permission from the Tippecanoe County Historical Association. To obtain reproduction rights and prices, contact the Tippecanoe County Historical Association, http://www.tcha.mus.in.us

Death of Abram Burnett---His Por-trait at Winter's Studio---Roman-tic History of His Wife.

On the second page yesterday we gave place to an extract from a western paper, announcing the death of Abram Burnett. He is spoken of as one of the hereditary chiefs of the Potowata- mies, but this we presume is a mistake, as in line of succession, Topenbay and his sons must have out-ranked him for that position. However, it is possible that in treaties with the United States after the unceremonious removal of the Potowatamies from northern Indi- ana and the Wabash, he may have obtained recognition as a chief. We have no information touching his life for the past twenty years, beyond the fact that he lived in Kansas, not far from Topeka, and was a regular patron of the circus and side shows. He had became entirely civilized, except in an uncompromis- ing aversion to fire-water, as the sod corn whisky of our boasted civilization is termed. He was a sensible man and regarded ardent spirits as the bane of his race. The tribe to which he be- longed came in from the North, and by a concession from the Miamis, oc- cupied the rich hunting grounds west and north of the Wabash river. When General Tipton decoyed the Chiefs, warriors and head men of the Potta-watamies into the council at Twin Lakes, near Plymouth, Burnett was captured with the rest and sent westward. He had never been in open antagonism to the whites, nor had he made any reputation with his tribe as a warrior, but gifted with a fine person, towering full six feet in height—a very giant in weight and muscle, he was a promi- nent figure in all the Councils. He never said much, but he brooded long and bitterly over the wrongs of his race, and but for the restraining influ- ences brought to bear upon him by Father Petit, a Jesuit missionary, hewould have been troublesome. He be- came a convert to Catholicism, and the good counsel of the pious missionary bore good fruit in aspirations for a high- er life and a desire to benefit his race— General Grover, ex-Senator Fitch, of Logansport, and Jay Mix, Esq., of La- Fayette, will remember Abram Bur- nett, and doubtless recall many incidents of his life. George Winter, our popular home artist, who knew him well, has his portrait in oil. He has, also, among his invalua- ble collection a life-like portrait of " Little Girl” the wife of Burnett—a woman of more than ordinary beauty, and some attainments. She was much esteemed by the whites for her amia- ble qualities. She had a somewhat ro- mantic history, having been espoused by two chiefs, who, in their desperate rivalry, playfully inserted a tomahawk in each others skulls. One of them survived for four days, and sending for “Little Girl," as the Indian maid- en was called, attempted to kill her, under the romantic hallucination that her spirit would accompany him, on a sort of bridal tour, to the hunting grounds of the great hereafter. Feeble and dying, he failed of his deadly pur-pose, and she escaped with a slight gash in the forehead. Burnett became interested in her, and took her to his wigwam. We have an im- pression that she died some years since. Both these paintings are interesting—all the more that Mr. Winter painted them from life. We shall always regret that the valuable sketches with which his portfolio is filled have not been perpetuated in a more enduring form. Many of them are invaluable, and all are worthy of preservation on account of their inti- mate relation to the early, history of Indiana. We should be glad to see them repainted, under the patron- age of the State, and deposited in the State Library at the Capital. We could select ten or a dozen of his sketches, comprising more history of early times in Indiana than can be ex- tracted from the whole miscellaneous muddle in the State archives at Indi- anapolis.